Staffing

Rationale

Students commencing studies in engineering and the built environment not only need a solid grounding in engineering science, but the ability to develop the methodologies and core skills that enable them to study and eventually perform as professionals in their discipline. From their first exposure to the field, students should be encouraged to think as professionals, hone their developing skills on authentic problems and learn from experienced practitioners.

Synopsis

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the engineering and built environment professions, to provide them with an understanding of the fundamental concepts of engineering science and to develop the basic skills necessary to effectively study in an engineering or spatial science discipline. Students will learn how to apply these skills and knowledge, using an engineering systems approach, to a range of authentic multidisciplinary engineering-based problems. Topics covered include the nature of engineering and the built environment; fundamentals of engineering science and their application; study skills and an exposure to a range of professional skills including technical communications, ePortfolios, calculation and presentation tools and information literacy.

Objectives

The course objectives define the student learning outcomes for a course. On completion of this course, students should be able to:

demonstrate an awareness of the breadth of engineering and built environment professions and their impact on society and the environment;

demonstrate an awareness of the capabilities required of graduates in engineering and built environment professions and the link between course objectives and graduate capabilities;

demonstrate an understanding of the engineering systems approach towards engineering design and analysis, across the broad spectrum of engineering and spatial sciences;

describe qualitatively the fundamental concepts of engineering science in relation to dimensions and units, space and time, mass and force, temperature and heat transfer, basic electrical theory and energy transfer;

demonstrate an ability to identify and link basic concepts and parameters in an engineering or built environment context;

apply basic quantitative relations for the analysis of space and time, mass and force, temperature and heat transfer, electrical circuit and energy transfer using appropriate SI units and treatment of associated uncertainties;

demonstrate an ability to comprehend technical information, and apply analytical and critical thinking to that information;

demonstrate an understanding of the need for accurate, concise, unambiguous communications in technical projects and competently prepare and present, effective, and efficient communications with the use of appropriate presentation tools, including an ePortfolio.

Topics

Description

Weighting(%)

1.

The Engineering & Built Environment Professions
Engineering and Built Environment Disciplines
Workforce roles
Core skills and capabilities
Society the Environment and Ethics

5.00

2.

Engineering Systems
Methodologies
Problems and Solutions
Management and documentation
Projects and their life cycle

The Online Test will be open from week 3 of the semester. Students will have a maximum of 2 attempts at the time limited test. The best score will be used towards an overall grade in the course.

Examination dates will be available during the semester. Please refer to the examination timetable when published.

Important assessment information

Attendance requirements:
There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students' responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.

Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete an assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks or a grade of at least C-. Students do not have to satisfactorily complete each assessment item to be awarded a passing grade in this course. Refer to Statement 4 below for the requirements to receive a passing grade in this course.

Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.

Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks/grades obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.

Examination information:
In an Open Examination, candidates may have access to any material during the examination except the following: electronic communication devices, bulky materials, devices requiring mains power and material likely to disturb other students. Any electronic devices capable of circumventing the objectives of examinations or of disrupting other candidates shall not be permitted in the examination for this course. Laptop or palm computers are not permitted in the examination.

Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
Any Deferred or Supplementary examinations for this course will be held during the next examination period.

University Student Policies:
Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene University policies and practices. These policies can be found at http://policy.usq.edu.au.

Assessment notes

This is a communication benchmark course and a major component of the assessment of this course will be associated with the demonstration of communication skills.

Referencing in Assignments must comply with the Harvard (AGPS) referencing system. This system should be used by students to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The Harvard (APGS) style to be used is defined by the USQ library’s referencing guide. These policies can be found at http://www.usq.edu.au/library/referencing

Other requirements

Students must have regular access to the internet (preferably at better than dial-up speed) as regular contact with the study desk is essential for completion of this course. Students should also have the capability to print modest quantities of material that may be provided via the study desk.